Fermentation of solutions containing xylose, arabinose, and other pentose sugars withthe production of acetic acid and lactic and other organic acids by microorganisms



Patented Mar. 4,

A UNITED srAras Parana oF FicE.'-

EDWIN BROUN E ED AND WILLIAM HAROLD PETERSON, or MADISON,-WISCONSIN.

'FERMENTA TION F SOLUTIONS CONTAINING XYLOSE, ARABINOSE, AND OTHER PEN?TOSE SUGARS WITH. THE PRODUCTION OF ACETIC ACID AND LACTIC AND OTHERORGANIC ACIDS BY, MICROOBGAINISMS.

- No Drawing.

To all whom. it may concern.

Be it known that we, EDWIN BROUN FRED and WILLIAM HAROLD PETERSON,citizens of the United States, residing at Madison, in

the county of Dane, State ofWisconsin, have invented certain new anduseful Improve ments in the fermentation of solutions containing xylose,arabinose, and other pentose sugars with the production of acetic acidand lactic and other organic acids by microorganisms, of which thefollowing is a specification. J

' Acetic acid and lactic acid as hitherto produced for industrialpurposes have been obtained from the fermentation of glucose,

lactose, or other sources and not by the fermentation of xylose or otherpentoses. This processhas for its purpose the production of acetic acidand lactic acid by the fermentation of either pure or crude pentosesolutions and in this way furnishing a new and valuable source of thesecommercial products. As starting material we use a solution of xylose orarabinose made from either the pure or crude sugars. This pure or crude'pentose can be obtained from corn cobs, corn stover, cotton -seedhulls, straw, or other equivalent plant materials by hydrolysis withdilute acids under suitable conditions of temperature and pressure, e.g., sulphuric acid-of 2 per cent strength at atemperature of 15-20pounds steamj pressure for 1'--2 hours. By. filterin off theunhydrolyzed material aclear am er colored liquid isobferment thexy1ose,arabinose and other pen- W toses almost uantitatively to aceticacid and lactic acid. fter a few days the fermenta- Application tiledAugust 7, 1919. Serial No. 315,952.-

tained which contains the pentose sugars and.

tion is completed and-the acetic-acid and lactic acid may be obtained byseveral well known methods. I I

The details of the fermentation process as described above may beconsiderably varied with respect to the concentration of the solu tion,duration of fermentation, and temperature employed. v v

Inthe following claims-pit is to be under-' to stood that wherever theterms pentose or pentose sugar are used,.t hey are intended to coverxylose, arabinose or other pentoses which undergo fermentation intoaceticand lactic acids by the means of fermenting microorganisms. Also,the expression pentose yielding material is intended tocover suchsubstancesjas corn-cobs, oorn-stover, straw, wood or other plants whichby suitable hydrolysiswill yield xylos'e, arabmose or other pentoses ofa similar nature.

1. A rocess comprising fermenting pentose wit microorganisms ofLactobaozllue pentoacctz'cua, new species. ll

"2. A process comprisin subjecting pentose'sugar to'the action 0micro-organisms of lactobacilhze p'entoacetimw, new s ecies and allowingfermentation to procee until a high conversion of pentose sugar intoacetic and lactic acids is obtained. 1 I

, 3.'A process comprising fermenting hydrolyzed pentose yieldingmaterial with mi- I cro-organisms' of lidctbadlluapcntolzcatiaufl new secies. a 4. process comprising subjecting drolyzed pentose yieldingmaterial to action of nficroeorgahisms of Zactobacz'llua pentoaceticus,new species, and allo the fermentation to proceed until substantiallyall of the entose is converted'into lactic and acetic aci' f I 5. Arocess comprising subjecting pentose to t e action of pentose-fermentinmicro-organisms of the genus LcwtobaciZ ac.

6, A' process comprisin subjecting pentose sugar to the actlon opentose-fermenting micro-organisms of the genus Lactobacz'llus andallowing fermentation to proceed until a high conversion of pentosesugar into acetic and lactic acids is obtained. 7.A process comprisingfermenting by drolyzed pento'se yielding material with pentially all ofthe pentose is converted into tow-fermenting mlcro-korganis'ms of the gelactic and acetic acids. nus Lactobwilfius.

-EDWIN BROUN FRED. 8. A process compnsmg sub ectmg h dro'lyzed pentoseyielding material to t e WILLIAM HAROLD PETERSON action ofpentose-fermenting micrororgan- Witnesses: isms of the genusLzwtobacillus and allowing LULU OSBORN,

the fermentation to proceed until snbsisan- CLARA 1L, Kmltmc.

